


Fallout: Arcadia Bay

by Sarcastic_Raspberry



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fallout, F/F, Fallout AU, Kidnapping, Mercenary!Victoria, Post-Nuclear War, Survivor!Kate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-22 01:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6066340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarcastic_Raspberry/pseuds/Sarcastic_Raspberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following WWII, the world became a society of war-minded humans dedicated to the idea of combat and nuclear destruction. This came to be for the better, as those who saw this as an inevitable end built underground vaults to protect survivors from the radiation and mayhem that would ensue as a result of the Great War of 2077.<br/>Kate Marsh is one of the descendants of these survivors, and she also serves as the main care taker of her two younger sisters. That is, until she returns from a scavenging mission to find that her sisters are gone.<br/>Now she sets out with a mercenary named Victoria in an attempt to find her sisters and punish the people who kidnapped them, whoever and wherever they may be.<br/>((This may be a bit difficult to understand if you haven't played any of the Fallout games, but that is by no means a necessity, as I try to include context  clues for those who haven't played the games to enjoy as well.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mono Arche

The sun beat down, further baking the already burnt wasteland as Kate wearily stepped forward. She was dressed in various armors from the football padding on her chest to the shin guards that were hidden under her decaying jeans. Protection was vital, and that they offered, but she just wished that she didn’t need to sacrifice the comfort of a cool temperature for that protection. 

The world was destroyed long before she was born, burnt up by a war that lasted lifetimes long ago in a strange world. Those were the times of her grandparents, which had been filled with that concept of having pride in war. Now was her time, a time where war was feared, and yet a partially necessary evil for those who survived. This was the time of the descendants of those who took underground to the vaults- the ones who shielded themselves from radiation and destruction by hiding away while the world burned. 

This was the time she was meant to share with her younger sisters and parents.

“I guess that’s not going to happen,” she said to herself as the thought arose. “That's how it was supposed to go, but now I have no one.”

As if to remind her of how wrong this statement was, a wet nose brushed her bare elbow, bringing her to turn to the right and face the large, black eyes staring at her. Standing there was a large beast of a rabbit, long mutated to shed most of its hair and to grow to its near towering height on all fours. Most would be horrified to see this creature, but Kate only giggled, wrapping an arm around the pink neck of her rodent companion.

“Yes, Alice. I guess I have you, too,” she said as one of her hands brushed the tuft of fur on Alice’s leathery head. Her smile fell along with her hands as she took hold of the leash and began to walk forward once again. “Come on, we don’t have time to mess around.”

The rabbit cried out as it followed with heavy steps, causing Kate to let out a sigh.

“I know we don’t like going to towns. We never like going to towns,” she said. “There are too many people, and too many variables. They might follow us back, or hurt us right there, and then there would be no one to help Lynn and Sophia. Right now, though, we don’t have much choice, do we?”

Her condescending tone seemed to upset the beast, as she grumbled and growled unhappily. Kate merely sighed again as she tugged the leash forward and gave a low smile. They began to walk again, a bit more upbeat than before. Still, this did nothing to change their situation as they moved through the dust rolling from the ground and over the land.

Memories flooded of the first time she’d lost someone to this “New World.”

“It wasn’t too long after we found you, Alice,” she said slowly. “Mom and dad went off on a scavenging mission without us. I was in charge of watching Sophia and Lynn, remember? You kept us busy, that was for sure. That was before we knew you just wanted to play, huh?”

Alice clicked and tutted happily at that, causing Kate to laugh.

“Lynn loved you back then, but you didn’t like her too much when she pulled on your fuzz. I swear, every time you snapped at her, Mom was ready to throw you out! She said when the next mission was over, she was going to do it,” she joked. Suddenly, her smile turned to a frown. “But that day, when they went out, they didn’t come back. And now…”

There was a grumble given at the long pause, Alice brushing Kate’s arm again in some strange attempt at comfort. It took her a while to register the touch as they neared a more lush area of the nearly never ending expanse of destruction. Soon enough, dust and debris merged and flowed into an area of tall trees. Those trees provided a kind shade that Alice took pleasure in.

Kate simply shook her head once she’d gathered her bearings and put on a mask of determination. “Don’t worry, Alice. We’re going to find them. When we do, I’m going to make sure that whoever took them away is going to pay.”

Before the rabbit could give a response, Kate could hear a subtle click erupt from somewhere nearby. This click sounded familiar, and Kate soon figured out why as a man pulled himself up from the sparse bushes near the side of the road. The noise had obviously been the safety on his gun, which now had its barrel pointed directly at her face.

He was draped in a revealing armor, one she supposed was more for some sense of uniform than anything else, as it hardly looked as though it would shield him from damage. Still, without an accessible weapon in sight, he proved intimidating.

Kate moved back, crouching low. Her movements halted when the man inched forward with his sights trained on her.

“Don’t take another step,” he said, “and we won’t hurt you.”

Another safety was taken off, causing Kate’s eyes to flicker over to a tree on her right, where another man stood in armor identical to the first’s. 

_ Raiders.  _ The word flashed through her mind, causing her to swallow thickly around the lump in her throat as her mouth went dry.

His gun was pointed down to his side, as if it was more so a precaution than anything. Her mind was already racing with escape plans or ways to fight back, but what weapons she had were safely stored in her backpack, aside from the sling she kept in her shoe. 

Of course, with the eyes of these men trained so keenly on her, that wasn’t necessarily an option right now. This same element of her circumstance is what kept her from running away with Alice. Two guns, two pairs of eyes, one of her. She was trapped.

Knowing all she could do was stall, Kate looked back to the man in front of her, grip tightening on Alice’s leash as she asked, “What do you want with me?”

“Your gear,” the second man said. He walked over, looking Kate up and down as he did so before turning to Alice, “and maybe your pet could feed us for a few days.”

“Don’t touch her! Please, she’s all I have! Just leave me alone!” she asked, pulling down the leash to get Alice away from the strange man.

“Heh, maybe if the world was a kinder place, we could,” the first man said, moving the barrel closer to her face. “Unfortunately, it appears that the world isn’t too kind, these days.”

“Now give us the mole, and your gear, now!” the second one said as he rose to growl in her ear. 

She winced to the side, only to gain courage. She took as much height as she could, standing up to the man as she said, “She’s a rabbit and you’re not getting her.”

The second man grabbed the leash on Alice, pulling sharply. “You don’t have a choice!”

“Hey! Let her go, right now!” she said.

Alice cried out, swiping a paw at the man. Her long claws raked down the exposed area of his back, causing the man to hiss in pain as he whirled on her. The lead fell to the ground as he pulled up his gun with both hands and raised it to his abdomen.

“Okay, that’s it, we tried playing nice, now give us your bags, and your armor, or else we’ll skin the damn thing right in front of you!” the first man said, face growing red with anger as he stared Kate over the long handle of his weapon.

He was shaking as sweat gathered on his brow, though Kate couldn’t tell if it was because he was nervous or enraged. Either way, the situation wasn’t boding to well for her.

That was when he started to fall down right in front of her. His finger pulled down on the trigger. Kate awaited the deafening boom of the rifle to announce her death to the wasteland, only for another deafening click to call out. She was alive.

Kate didn’t have much time to think on why this was so, as she was too busy staring in awe at the reason for the man falling. That reason, of course, was the woman standing behind his collapsed form with a bag in one hand that seemed to sag with the weight of whatever was inside. She looked up to Kate with a smile before turning towards the other man.

“An empty gun, huh?” she said, raising the bag over her shoulder with a swift heft. “What’s wrong? All bark and no bite?”

“Only one cartridge,” the remaining man chuckled as he held up his gun. 

“And of course you’d take it, you coward,” she said with a neutral face as he again lowered his gun to his hip.

“Victoria, it’s always good to see you again, but do you really want to do this out here? I mean, you should be careful,” he raised his gun to his face to stare down the barrel, “There’s no one here to watch your back this time.”

She only scoffed as she gestured to the man at her feet. “And there’s no one to watch yours.”

He glared before lowering the gun. “Let me get him, and we’ll leave quietly.”

“Deal,” she said.

With a nod, he pulled the strap of the gun over his chest and stooped down to pick up his friend’s gun, to which the woman stomped on the butt of the weapon. He gave her a questioning look while she merely stared down at him.

“Leave it,” she said.

He squinted his eyes at that before pulling his hand off of the gun and moving back to his partner’s body. After hefting it into his arms, he then proceeded to walk away into the brush, his back glistening with blood fresh from the wound Alice had made.

This left Kate with the strange woman, who smiled as she picked up the weapon and looked it up and down with a whistle.

“Would you look at this?” she asked, more to herself than to Kate. “I’ll tell you, this thing can’t do much on its own, but it would sure be bad if those dumbasses had any bullets in it.”

“Uh yeah,” Kate said, “I’m pretty lucky they didn’t, and that you saved me.”

“Yea, you’re welcome, by the way,” she said as she rolled her eyes and started to turn away.

“Wait!” Her hand shot out, grabbing the woman by the arm before she could get too far. Kate froze when she turned around, letting go as she said, “I uh, don’t know your name.”

She looked Kate up and down for a moment, brow raised in scrutiny before she turned fully toward her and said, “Victoria, and your name is?”

“Kate, Kate Marsh,” she said happily.

Victoria smiled. “Well, ‘Kate Kate Marsh,’” she snapped her goggles on her head, as if tipping a hat, “I guess this is goodbye.”

She turned again, fully this time, before she started to walk away. Kate threw a look at Alice before turning back to Victoria. Stooping to pick up the fallen leash as she went, she quickly followed.

“That was really great back there,” Kate said once she’d sunken into an even pace next to her.

“Yea, I guess it was,” was the calm, even response.

They continued in silence as they walked down the road together. Victoria seemed to grow increasingly wary of Kate’s presence. It appeared as though she was okay with the intrusion, though her eyes would drift over every few moments.

“So, do you know any towns around here?” Kate asked.

Victoria stopped in her tracks, shifting her weight to her left hip as she said, “I might. Why do you ask?”

“Because I need help and I was hoping there was somewhere with people that would be willing to-”

“What kind of help?” Victoria asked as she leaned in with a smile. “Radroach infestation? Bandits too close to home?”

“No, uh,” Kate looked down as she adjusted the strap of her duffel on her shoulder, “it’s kind of a long story.”

“Well, it’s a long walk back. I have time. Well, as long as you have something in exchange?”

“Uh, right!” she began sliding off the duffle that hung around her shoulder, immediately going for her backpack after that. Once that was out, she carefully unbuckled the straps to reveal a small variety of weapons sitting inside. Two pistols, one bowie knife, and about six more special items scattered throughout the bag.

These particular items are what caused Victoria to step forward, eyes widening as she asked, “Are those grenades? Where did you get those?”

Kate quickly closed the bag, causing Victoria to quickly look up and meet her serious gaze. “My sisters and I found a small base on our way down here. I never thought I’d have to use them, but I made sure to have them on me at all times,” she said as she quickly closed up the pack and put it on he back over the football padding that hung heavy on her chest. “I still don't’ really have a use for them, but I’m guessing that wherever you’re from, you’ll take them, right?”

Victoria smiled even wider this time as she reached out and took the duffle from the ground, sliding it onto her own shoulder

“I think they might earn some talk back home,” she said as she began walking again. “Now, tell me more about your problem.”

“Well, I was living with my family back in Washington after our vault opened a few years ago and-”

“Washington? You came all the way down from Washington for help?” Victoria asked.

“Well, no, that’s just-”

“Oh! I get it, it’s irrelevant information,” she said sarcastically before letting out a tired sigh. “Look, do yourself a favor and simplify this whole spiel. The guys and gals I’m taking you to aren’t exactly the brightest. Not to mention they don’t give two shits about your life story. Speed up to the problem.”

“Well, my parents died and, after that, my sisters and I came down here.” Kate paused as she looked down. “I thought it would be safe but…”

“Let me guess,” Victoria said, “Death threats? Ghouls getting you down? Or did one of them turn into fluffy over here?”

“I went out scavenging,” Kate said, “and they were kidnapped while I was gone.”

That seemed to gain some attention, as Victoria’s eyes snapped open and she looked down at Kate for a moment before turning her eyes back to the road.

“Oh,” she said. “Eh, sorry I guess?”

“Yea, it was… pretty crazy,” she said as she let out a small, forced laugh. “I mean, when I came back, I didn’t really know anything was wrong until I came inside. The shelter was a mess and they were gone. The closest town wasn’t exactly jumping at the bit to help out.”

“I bet not. Luckily, you’ve crashed into the right mercenary.”

Kate let out a small sigh of relief before her face widened and she stared up at Victoria.

“‘Mercenary?’” she asked.

“Yea, as in, ‘does bad things at a price?’ That’s what you want, right? Find your sisters and take out the people who took them?” she asked. “I mean, that’s what I would do.”

“You have sisters?” Kate asked.

“Uh, no and snoop much? God,” she said.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that the way that you said it,” she paused when Victoria turned to confront her. “Never mind. Sorry.”

Victoria sighed and continued on. “Come on, and keep up, it’s going to be a long trip. So, how did you get baldy over here?”

“Oh, she’s been around since I was thirteen,” Kate said, turning toward her pet with a large grin on her face as she reached out to struck the velvety tip of Alice’s nose. “My dad said that she was a rabbit, once. You know, before the Great War.”

“Tch, well we don’t have any down here, that’s for sure,” she said. “Who knows? Maybe Arcadia was too close to California for any rabbits to make it out, fucked up or not.”

“She’s not messed up,” she said, seemingly offended on Alice’s behalf. “We had a few old pictures of rabbits back in my vault. She doesn’t look too different. Her hair’s thinning is all.”

“Yea, and she’s the size of three people,” Victoria quipped in return. “But, you know, I’m sure all rabbits were about that size.”

Kate rolled her eyes at that as they continued walking along. This would be a long trip indeed.

“Well, she was smaller when we got her,” Kate said. “About the size of a mole rat, actually. Then she got bigger, and now she’s like a part of the family!”

“Fantastic,” Victoria said in a low grumble as she took a sharp left down a slope and through the woods.

Hesitating for only a moment, Kate gingerly set a foot out into the undergrowth after her. Alice followed obediently. It was when she moved through the thin forest that she realized the envy she had for Victoria. She moved with stealth and grace without faltering amongst what was left of the bushes. Alice was difficult to coerce through the trees, and that was the excuse Kate would stick with as she stumbled over loose roots and skidded through the dirt and sand that kicked its way up.

“So, uh,” Kate began, “how did you become a mercenary?”

“I used to run with a group,” Victoria said. “Then my family split off, and my parents left me a while after.”

“Oh, that’s terrible!” Kate said incredulously, looking up from her feet for only a moment as she stepped over a log.

“Nah, I should have seen it coming. They weren’t exactly the most caring parents. Any way, they left and then I met up with these guys and we really hit it off. So, I’m staying in a town full of mercenaries now.”

“A town full?” Kate asked, shooting back.

Victoria stopped, “Yea,” she turned back to flash Kate a cat-like grin. “What, are you scared?”

“Uh, no,” she said.

That earned a breath of a laugh as Victoria turned back to the path she was making through the woods.

“That’s good,” she said, the trees starting to grow fewer in number, “because we’re here.”

Kate tensed, stepping over to Victoria’s side along the edge of the forest. Here, they looked over what could be seen of the town. Never before had Kate seen an area left so in tact after the Great War, and she marveled at the sight as a consequence.

Victoria laid a hand on her shoulder as she said, “Welcome to Arcadia Bay, home of the Cetacean Mercenary Guild: The only guild of its kind. Well, as far as we know.”

“‘Guild?’” Kate asked. “What do you mean?”

Victoria rolled her eyes, gesturing to her right arm where a band proudly displayed a crudely drawn symbol of a fish tail popping out of two wavy lines. The tail came up to a soft curve, four dots above it making it appear to morph into a paw print.

“What? You seriously think I live in a town full of criminals without morals? Now come on, we’re going to get you a posting.” After patting Kate on the shoulder, she began moving forward, only to turn around and add, “Oh, and I’d leave the bunny out here.”

Kate tensed, pulling the leash to her chest. “She’s really important to me, I want to keep her close.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. No one in town comes out here. It’s probably safer than walking her into a town full of people that are known as armed and dangerous, am I right?”

Kate shifted her eyes to Alice for a moment before giving a reluctant sigh. “Fine, just give me a second.”

Looking around, she soon spotted a sturdy root sticking out of the earth. As she stooped to test it, Alice snorted and butted her in the side.

“Oh, calm down,” she whispered harshly as she began tying the leash to the branch. “It’ll only take a second.”

Alice didn’t seem convinced as she gave a slow blink.

“Come on,” Kate said, resting a hand on Alice’s head and stroking her jaw, “do it for Lynn?”

That got the rabbit to look down, causing Kate to smile in delight as she made her way back to Victoria.

“I’ve got her situated,” she said, glancing back at where Alice was tied to the root. “I hope she’s okay when I come back.”

“I’m sure she will be,” Victoria said as she roughly dropped Kate’s duffel into her arms. “Come on, let’s go. The man you want to see is this way.”

“What man?” Kate asked, slinging the bag behind her as she followed. “Is he a mercenary too?”

“Nah, he can’t really leave the town, but he does help us out,” she said.

“How?” Kate asked.

“He’s our bar tender.” At the sharp glare Kate immediately sent her, Victoria let out a groan. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Listen, okay, as a guild, we work based off of missions and jobs. So, we need a place to list said jobs. He takes care of that business and keeps track of which ones are taken and which ones aren’t. He’s the one you’re going to want to see if you want someone to pick up your offer.”

“How does it work?” she asked.

“You tell him your situation- the summary, please, he doesn’t need to know where you’re from or your sisters’ names or anything about your freak rabbit- and then you tell him what you’re willing to pay to have the job done. Simple as that.”

“But, how long will that take?” Kate asked.

“Ha! With fucking military grenades on your post? I doubt it’ll be hard. Though, that all depends on who they’re gonna be after.”

“But, I don’t know who kidnapped them,” Kate said. “They were gone when I got there!”

“Then you’re going to need someone who’s willing to track,” Victoria said. “Don’t worry, we’ve got em’ all down here. You’ll see when we get in-town.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a lot for a first chapter! Now, say hello to my newest baby who I will try to maintain. I'm taking a more organized approach to this one, so I hope I can get updates out frequently! Please leave your comments (whether they be positive or negative) below!


	2. Syrinx in Arcadia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate goes to Arcadia and finds out a few things about the people who took her sisters.

As much credit as Kate originally gave the town upon spotting it, it looked far worse off up close. The asphalt of the roads were cracked and brittle with large holes blown from the ground. Debris hung from the buildings

A few shapes clung to the edges of the street, staring at her and Victoria as they moved past. Naturally, she gravitated towards the other girl, sticking close.

“Hey, relax,” Victoria whispered to her. “Heh, people are going to be able to tell you’re a newbie from a mile away.”

“Some could argue that it’s a good thing that I am out of my element,” Kate said, eyes still trained on a pair of men standing along the side of the road. “I feel like a cat in the middle of a lake.”

“Heh, well, you better find your sea legs, because here we are,” Victoria said as she gestured to a building. 

This one was smaller than those around it, and appeared to have been a diner at one point. This was confirmed by looking around the demolished parking lot and finding a sign. The sign, which once sat on the tall poll it now laid back against, read “Two Whales Diner.” This sign was similar to what was left in shape of the dull and cracked one that sat atop the building, but what separated it mainly was how the words that spelled out is old name had been painted over with a new title.

“Vortex Pub?” Kate asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Yep,” Victoria said, “and you’re looking at one of its star co-owners,” Victoria said, bringing a hand to her chest in pride. “Now, come on, let’s get in there.”

“Wait,” Kate said as she looked at the building.

Victoria threw her a look that was concerned at first but then it soon grew tired as she let out a groan and asked, “Well, what is it?”

“It’s a bar?” she asked.

“Yes,” Victoria said, “That’s kind of what a pub is. What, you got a problem with that?”

“Uh no, I guess not,” she said.

“Then what’s the big deal?”

Kate’s eyes flickered to Victoria before she focused back on the bar. After some time, she found the will to nod slowly. Seeing this, Victoria rolled her own eyes and took a step toward the building.

“Then just come on,” she said, motioning for Kate to follow. “Jeez, it’s like pulling teeth.”

Standing up a bit straighter, Kate began to cautiously trail after and into the building. The Vortex Pub had a low light, what with the dark fabric that was strung up and over the windows. What little light visible was made through the use of candles along the tables and walls. The booths along the windows were made of aged and cracked leather that squeaked with every movement, causing a shudder to ripple up Kate’s spine. Of course, she was more so focussed on the young man messing about with the counter area, dusting off the main aisle at the head of the room.

He looked up at the new intrusion, smiling as he said, “Victoria! Welcome back!”

The bar let out a “Har! Har!” in response before they immediately resumed their activities.

“Sup, Nate?” she asked as she made her way towards the bar.

The young man shot her a tilted smile as he said, “Oh, nothing much,” and set the rag in his hand off to the side. “So, how’d it go?”

She slammed a bag down on the bar in response. “I don’t know, how do you think it went?”

He continued smiling at her as he rose over the top of the bar and pulled open the bag with one hand. Kate couldn’t see what was inside exactly, but she could see the corners of a small box of ammo, along with the neck of a large bottle.

Suddenly, the bag was released by the man as he pulled back and laughed. “Heh, looks like it went good. So, what about that?” he asked, raising his left hand again to point to the gun over her shoulder.

Without even looking back at the weapon, Victoria placed a sure, proud hand over the barrel of the rifle. “No. I snagged this from some raiders while saving our newest client,” she said, motioning to Kate to punctuate her statement.

“Oh, uh, yes,” Kate said. “Thank you, again.”

The man took on a stern expression. “Oh, a thank you, huh? Hope you don’t think that’ll be enough to pay off your debt.”

Kate began to stutter as she asked, “Debt? What debt?”

“Well, let’s see here. Saving you from raiders, escorting you back here? That’s a mighty high price,” he said. “Hope you’ve got something good.”

She jumped and turned to Victoria. “You didn’t say anything about owing you for that!”

Victoria just laughed. “Oh, calm down. He’s just joking.”

This was confirmed when the man behind the counter began to chuckle. “Heh, sorry. Seriously though, if you’re here to do business, I’m the man you talk to. The name’s Nathan,” he said, holding out his right hand with a charming grin.

Kate looked at the hand for a moment before flicking her eyes over to Victoria.

“Hey, what’s the big deal?” Nathan asked. “Come on, you’ve never shaken a guy’s hand before?”

After blinking her eyes rapidly, Kate let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, sorry,” she said, reaching out to take his hand into hers. “I’m just, trying to take all of this in.”

“Hey, it’s no problem,” he said.

His hand moved lazily in hers, and Kate couldn’t help but think that his hand was a bit stiff where it lay covered by the rough leather glove.  _ It’s like shaking the hand of a corpse,  _ she thought. Thinking that she’d shaken the hand long enough, she moved to pull back, surprised when his arm followed. Before she knew it, his arm had detached, Nathan still standing behind the bar. 

Kate let out a startled scream, dropping the arm onto the counter as the bar grew with laughter from all directions.

Nathan let out a chuckle of his own as right sleeve laid empty at his side and he picked up the arm.

“I’m so sorry!” she said, “I didn’t mean to!”

“Nah, you’re fine,” Victoria sighed, “He’s just an asshole.”

“Come on, Victoria!” he said through laughs. “It gets better every time and you know it!” He turned to Kate and began to bend the arm at the elbow, waving it around. “Look, you don’t gotta cry about it. It’s fake, see? Wooden.”

Her face pulled into a look of disgust as she backed away from the bar and flicked her eyes around.  _ What kind of place is this? _ she asked herself.

“Hey, what’s going on out here?” a voice asked, coming from another young man as he stepped in from what used to be the kitchen area of the diner. First, he rested his eyes on Kate and then over to Nathan and his arm. “Ugh, Nathan, I told you to stop messing with your straps!”

“Calm down, Mom,” Nathan said sarcastically. “It was just a joke.”

“Yea, well you won’t be laughing when the straps break and we don’t have any leather to fix it,” he said, taking the faux limb out of his hand, “or what if you end up breaking the arm?”

“Who’s that?” Kate asked, leaning over to Victoria.

Victoria leaned over in turn to whisper, “That’s Warren. He makes sure Nathan doesn’t hurt himself while I’m gone,” while the men continued talking. “Oh boys,” she said, earning their attention, “I think you’re both forgetting our guest?”

Warren blinked at Kate for a moment before she truly registered and he said, “Oh, sorry! Heh, my name’s Warren, what’s yours?”

“Uh, my name is-”

Victoria cut her off as her hands came to rest on Kate’s shoulders and she said, “This is ‘Kate Kate Marsh,’ and she’s looking for a little help finding her sisters.”

Nathan sighed. “Heh, well, I guess that’s my cue,” he said, taking his arm back as he leaned up to Warren’s ear and said, “You wouldn’t mind watching the bar for me? You know, clients and everything.”

When he pulled back, Warren glared harshly before letting out a sigh of his own. “You’re taking my shift tonight.”

“Deal!” he said, stepping back before moving around Warren. “Thanks, babe! Alright, you two, come on back here.”

“Why do I have to come?” Victoria asked, already moving towards the door.

Warren leaned over the bar with a smirk as he said, “I think he needs you to give him a  _ hand  _ for a second.”

“Oh, haha, very funny,” Nathan said, rolling his eyes as he walked to the back room.

“Careful, Warren, I think you’re starting to actually offend him,” Victoria said as she moved after him.

Warren chuckled and simply said, “Victoria, I think you’ll find he already thinks I’m a pain in the ass.” He then shrugged as he turned back to the counter. 

Not taking more than a moment to look at him as he did so, Kate quickly turned to follow Victoria as she sighed and moved towards the back room. The door looked like it was new, or at least not from the diner originally. This seemed to be confirmed as Victoria closed it behind her, revealing that the opposite side was a completely different color than what used to be the diner’s kitchen.

Now shelves that once held ingredients and the like were lined with books, papers, and even a few crates of supplies. Kate didn’t stare too long before her attention was drawn to the long desk along the edge of the room.

On one side of the desk, Nathan was already making himself at home, gesturing towards the opposite side as he said, “Come on, sit down. I won’t bite.”

She nodded and gave a small, unsure grin before beginning to make her way over. Once she’d properly sat down, 

"Alright, now let's get started," he said as he lifted a pencil to the paper. Looking at Kate expectantly, he flashed her a smile and said, " What are you looking for?"

"Uh, my sisters," she said.

"Yea, and?" he asked.

A moment passed, in which Kate could do little more than open and close her mouth before her eyes shifted up to Victoria.

Finally, the other girl simply rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "She needs a tracker who can get out live targets," she said. It was with a large grin that she added, "And she's willing to pay with two pistols, a long knife, and six grenades."

“Grenades?” he asked.

Victoria nodded. “Military issue.”

Nathan looked up at her for a moment before letting out a low whistle. He looked at Kate before he began writing again. "Well, that's a bonus. So, where exactly are they going?"

"I'm sorry?" Kate asked.

He looked up at her with a bit more of a tired expression. "Well, we've got guys that mostly go north, we've got guys who like to stick around town, and we've got guys who don't mind going a little out of their way."

"Well, uh, I don't really know who kidnapped them," she said. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where they went either."

"That's why she needs the tracker," Victoria said.

"Well, I get that," he said with a scoff, "but the best guy in the guild isn't gonna do jack shit without some kind of clue."

"I came from up north," Kate said. "You know, if that helps."

"What about where your sisters were?" Nathan asked. 

"Like, when you came back, was it just your sisters?" Victoria added as she leaned over the table. "Did they take caps, or food?"

Kate shook her head. "Uh, no. Not really. Oh! Wait, they left something on the wall."

Nathan looked up at Victoria with a borderline glare. "A gang job. Heh, should have known," he prepared himself to write again.

"Is that a problem?" Kate asked, leaning forward in anticipation of the answer.

"Nah, it's fine," Nathan said, "but it might limit your job pool."

"It doesn't matter," Victoria said as she rolled her eyes. "Just tell us what was on your wall."

"Uh it was a bird,” she said, the image suddenly ringing out. 

Nathan and Victoria gave each other a knowing look before turning back to Kate.

“A bird?” Victoria asked.

She stumbled and thought quickly as she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t say something sooner. It was kind of small, and I guess I hadn’t thought about it too much.”

“Eh, it’s alright,” Victoria said as Nathan went back to writing. “Jeez, I didn’t think the Blue Birds could stoop so low.”

“A blue bird?” Kate asked.

The other girl turned around then, giving Kate an odd look as she asked, “What? Wasn’t it a blue jay?”

“Ah, no. It was a bigger bird,” she said, thinking deeper about the image. “I think it was an owl."

The pencil fell from Nathan's hand as he snapped up to look at her. His eyes were wide and glazed as he stared her down. She could see the way that his pupils focused and unfocused like some scared animal as he asked, "An owl? Are you sure?"

The tension in the room suddenly grew tenfold, causing Kate to lean back cautiously as she said, "Uh, yes. I mean, I think so-"

"You think or you know?" Nathan growled. "Well? Was it a fucking owl or what?"

"Nathan, calm down," Victoria said. "She probably doesn't know what it means."

"Know what?" Kate asked, eyes flicking hurriedly between the two of them.

Both of them ignored her at this point, Nathan leaping from his chair as he shouted, "Heh, of course she knows! Who doesn't know the fucking Arch-Owls?"

"Who are the Arch-Owls?" Kate asked.

"Don't fucking talk like that! Don't play around, this isn't a fucking game!"

"Nathan, calm down," Victoria said as she rested a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes met Kate's with a look of pity. "The Arch-Owls are a  large gang. They... they cause a lot of trouble."

Nathan scoffed at that. "Trouble? You think what they do is cause trouble?" He turned to Kate and leaned over the table, slamming his hand down as she shot backwards in the chair. After a moment of searching her face, he finally said, "You really don't know anything about them, do you?" When she didn't respond, he sniggered and said, "Then let me tell you something, okay? The Arch-Owls are the worst people to survive this fucking apocalypse, got it? Their leader is a sadistic fuck whose only purpose is to get off to the misery other people, and if he has your sisters,” he leaned in over the desk, “you better hope they’re fucking dead.”

“Nathan!” Victoria said, pulling him back. She tried to force him to look at her, “Nathan, come on! Don’t say that!”

“Whatever, it doesn’t fucking matter,” Nathan said, a bit calmer as he shrugged off Victoria’s hand and stared Kate down. “You’re not getting any help from anyone in here.”

His hand darted down quickly and viciously, causing Kate to flinch back as the paper he was writing on only a moment previous was snatched up off of the desk and crinkled in his palm.

“But, you have to help me!” she said.

“I don’t gotta do a god damned thing!” Nathan spat back, tossing the paper to the floor as he stood with his weight shifted to his left side.

“Please!” she said, “I’m not asking you to do it yourself. Maybe someone out there would like to help!”

He smiled at that in a way that was almost kind. Almost.

“Well, I didn’t think about that! Let’s go ask them,” he said, already walking towards the door.

“Nathan, no, wait!” Victoria said, scampering behind him as he opened the door. She waited in the doorway with Kate, mumbling a quiet, “Oh no,” just under her breath.

“Hey, everyone, listen up!” he called out to the bar, easily gaining attention from the large crowd. “So, we’ve got a special listing! So God damned special, I’m not even gonna put it up! This is a one time thing, take it or leave it, so listen closely!” He leaned back and grabbed Kate’s arm, roughly pulling her forward before letting her go. She could see what was left of his upper arm poke out to the side from the inside of his sleeve, as if he’d forgotten the arm wasn’t there and was attempting to gesture to the room “This chick’s sisters were kidnapped. Sounds like a pretty good mission, right?”

A few murmurs of agreement rang out through the establishment as Warren quickly walked over and turned towards Nathan.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

He was ignored. “Not to mention, she’s offering two pistols, a knife, and six whole grenades to track them down and bring them back home. Who wants to get in on that?” Nathan asked, raising his left hand.

That brought in a lot of attention as the crowd let out a few hardy cheers.

“I’ll take it!” one man yelled as he stood from his lone booth along the side of the room.

“No way man, I got this one!” another one added.

Nathan shot him a frighteningly large grin as he said, “Amazing! Well, out of those of you who are interested,” he dropped the air of excitement from his voice, letting out a monotone, “which one of you are gonna stand against the Arch-Owls?”

The entire room went silent. The few who’d stood to claim the job slowly rested back into their chairs. One brave soul, who wasn’t too far from the door, stood before darting out of the bar all together.

The smile reformed on Nathan’s face as he gave a weak chuckle. “That’s what I thought.” He lightly shoved Kate away as he said, “Now get out of here.”

There was a moment where Kate opened and closed her mouth, mind racing to find something to convince him otherwise. “What about my sisters?” she asked, “If these people are as horrible as you say they are, then-!”

“Then you’ll remember what I said,” he shot back, leaning in close. “You better hope they’re long gone cause, if they’re not, then they’re going to wish they were, believe me.”

With that, he stomped out of the room and back into the small back room. Kate stared after him, reaching out to stop him. Victoria stood in front of her, holding up a hand. This caused Kate to lurch back in surprise at the cold expression on her face. 

That was when Warren stepped forward, placing a palm on her back and leading her out through the front door of the bar. He walked her off to the corner of the long-abandoned parking lot. Only there did he let himself fall with a sigh.

“Look, I know you and I don’t really know each other,” he said, “but I’m sorry about that.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know what the owl meant I-”

“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked.

She paused before shaking her head hurriedly.

He let out a chuckle. “I didn’t think so.”

“Gosh, I just,” she paused, “Who are the Arch-Owls? Why is everyone so afraid of them?”

“It isn’t really the group that scares everyone,” Warren said. When all he received for that questionable statement was a curious look from Kate, he let out a sigh and looked both ways, as if someone was going to pop out any moment to get the jump on the two of them. “Look, if it was just a group of guys, no one would really care. It’s their leader that’s got everyone pretty freaked.”

“Who’s the leader?” she asked.

“Jefferson,” Warren said, unable to look her in the eyes as he did so. “Mark Jefferson. He’s… he’s done some really fucked up stuff and no one really wants to mess with him. We’ve gotten a few groups that come in who want something to do with him. Heh, I usually get to turn those people away. I prefer it, you know? Nathan doesn’t do well with Arch-Owl stuff. Heh, no one in town really does.”

“So, no one here is going to help me?” she asked, shrinking as her eyes turned towards the ground.

“Sorry, no,” he said. “No one here wants to deal with Jefferson. That’s why we don’t even put up the listings.”

She continued staring down, brow pinched in worry. Even then, she said, “Alright, thanks.”

He looked down at her for a moment before turning back to the bar and then back to her. “Listen, I really want to help you. So, for now, just find some place to sleep. There’s a motel a few roads away from here.”

“Are you sure I’d be allowed to stay there?” she asked. “You know, considering?”

“What? Oh, psh, yea. The woman who owns it- Joyce- she’s fearless. Besides, she doesn’t ask much for just one night.”

“Well, thank you, again,” she said, “but I think I’m just going to leave. I kind of need to get back to Alice.”

“Another sister?” he asked.

“No, she’s a rabbit,” Kate said.

Warren’s expression went wide before he brought a hand to the back of his neck and smiled, “Oh uh, well, I can see that.”

“Could you tell me where they are?” she asked.

He tilted his head in thought for a moment, before he asked, “Uh where who are?”

“The Arch-Owls,” she said. When she saw his eyes go wide, she immediately said, “I know that no one here wants to get involved, but they’re still my sisters. I can’t just give up on them.”

At that, he let out a sigh. “I guess you have a point. I’ll tell you what, stick around town until tomorrow. I’ll take you up past Arcadia and give you directions from there, okay?”

She gave a small smile as she began to nod slowly. “That would be… Gosh, that would be amazing. Thank you.”

He smiled back and touched her shoulder before moving back inside. “See you later, then.”

They both waved in parting as Warren moved back toward the diner.

* * *

 

Long after this exchange, Warren was wrapping up the work day a bit earlier than usual, out of respect for the tension that soon filled the Vortex Pub like a thick cloud resting upon the shoulders of all who entered. This cloud seemed to double in weight when it came to the back room, where Victoria had waited out the day with Nathan.

“I can’t believe you,” she said, leaning over the table.

Nathan sat on the other side, merely sighing as he once again tried to attach the leather straps to his shoulder. An entire afternoon, and he still hadn’t been able to get them in place.

“I know you don’t like talking about them, but this wasn’t all about you,” Victoria said.

He dropped the strap with a frustrated groan as his eyes snapped up to look at her. “What did you want me to do? Huh? You know why we don’t put up listings for the Arch-Owls! I did what I had to do to make sure this place stays safe!”

“This place or yourself?” Victoria asked. The words made him click his tongue in annoyance as he turned back to the straps. She sighed, moving forward and gently resting on the table just beside where his chair was. In a soft tone, she said, “I understand why you said it, but you didn’t have to flip out.”

The more she spoke, the faster his movements in adjusting the straps became until he was throwing them down altogether, leaving the arm hanging by a tangled mess across his shoulder and chest.

“I didn’t flip out,” he said, “I just… ugh! What do you care, anyway?”

“That girl isn’t like us,” she said, leaning back as she crossed her arms. “She said on the way down here that she just got out of her vault a few years ago.”

“Tch, so what?” Nathan asked.

“So she hasn’t been out as long as you and I have,” Victoria said, giving him a wide-eyed look. “She still trusts people.”

“Well I guess that explains everything!” he said, throwing up his hand sarcastically in a dramatic wave. “The dumb bitch couldn’t help being gullible! Is that it? Is that really the only reason you want to help her?”

“I never said I wanted to help her!” She looked away, “Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea though.”

She saw the fear paint his face out of the corner of her eye.

“You can’t be serious,” he said. She didn’t respond. “Victoria, that’s fucking suicide!” he said as he shot out of the chair and leaned over the table, mannequin arm limp at his side.

“I never said I was going to,” she said, “but it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Think about it, we could finally get him off of our backs! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

“Not if you die! Look, Victoria, I don’t know what you’re thinking but you can’t do this, okay? I won’t let you!”

“Let me?” she asked. “You won’t let me? Heh, and who ever said I needed your approval, Mr. Prescott?”

Just as she finished speaking, the door to the back room opened, revealing Warren in the doorway.

“Hey, I just got the place closed down if you wanna head out, Victoria,” he said as he dusted off his hands a final time. When he looked up to see the heated stare down, he froze. Closing the door, he asked, “Uh, everything okay back here?”

“Hey, Warren,” Victoria said, “Where exactly did Kate head off to?”

“Uh, I told her to stay at Joyce’s for the night. Why?”

“Warren- why would you tell her that? If you’re going to tell her anything, tell her she’s crazy!” Nathan said, motioning to Victoria.

“Oh, I’m crazy?”

“Yea, you kind of are! Only crazy people try to take on the Arch-Owls for some fucking bitch they just met!” he said.

“Ugh, I can’t believe you!” she said, stomping out of the room.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked as he stood to follow her. He couldn’t only make it to the doorway as he stopped and stared out.

“Heh, who knows? Maybe I’m going to stop being a fucking coward,” she said.

With that, she shoved past Warren and out of the diner as a whole. Nathan’s eyes widened as the door swung closed behind her. 

Taking a few steps forward, he began calling out “Victoria!” only to have Warren’s arm cut across his chest and stop him. “Let me fucking go! She can’t do this!”

“Calm down,” Warren said, pulling back to hold him by the shoulders and look him in the eyes. “She’s fine. You know Victoria, she’s probably just going to blow off some steam. Besides, even if she was going after them right now, I don't think Joyce will be too keen on letting her into Kate’s room like that. Heh, you know how she is.”

Nathan gave only a grunt, turning his eyes away as he stepped back. Warren gave a weak smile and leaned down to press a kiss to where his shoulder met his neck and then on his cheek. Finally, he let his fingers lay across the straps of his arm.

“Now, let’s help you get this thing off,” Warren said.

“I’ve been trying to put it  _ on, _ ” Nathan complained as he pulled back and walked over to his chair once more. “Ugh, why’d you have to make this thing so fucking complicated?”

“It’s the best I could do with an old mannequin arm,” Warren said. He pulled the chair from one side of the desk beside Nathan and sat with a long sigh as he examined the straps. “Jesus, dude, what did you do?”

“Heh, fuck if I know,” Nathan said. “I just- ugh it’s hard to focus.”

“You’ve gotta learn how to do it yourself,” he said, calm hands rising to begin undoing the mess. “What if I go out for a while or something happens? I can’t do this forever.”

“Oh well, then I guess I’m going to have to have Victoria do it for me,” he said.

“That isn’t what I mean, and you know it.”

Nathan’s eyes moved to look at him, meeting the harsh stare for only a second before looking away again. He said, “When I look at it, I think about how it happened and it- ugh it fucks with my head!”

“I understand,” Warren said. “That was… That was scary, finding you like that. We didn't even really know each other then,  but you were so hurt that I… I didn't care,  you know?”

Nathan didn’t respond, his jaw simply locking into place to keep his teeth from grinding together.

Noting this, Warren simply turned back to the straps. “If I could get my hands on that guy now…” he growled.

“Don’t even fucking think about it.” The voice caused Warren to snap his eyes to snap up. “If you went after him, you’d get killed. I don't want you, or Victoria, or anyone to die! I just don't wanna deal with him, ok? I want to forget.””

Warren watched him for a moment as he continued to mess with the straps, carefully pulling them around each other until they came loose and what was left of Nathan’s arm was freed from the mess of leather.

“There you go.”

“Thanks,” Nathan said, pulling his shoulders back to stretch his back before leaning to the side with a huff. There, he scooped up his shirt with his left hand and began fastening the buttons to the best of his ability. When Warren reached out to assist, he responded by glaring and pulling his body away. “I’ve got this.”

As he lowered his hand, Warren simply watched as Nathan struggled with the buttons. Then he let out a long sigh. “You know, you don’t have to be such an ass all of the time.”

“And what does that mean?” He looked up from his shirt, “You want me to be more like you?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Oh, so you want me to be like that ‘nice’ bitch that came in here, huh?”

“She  _ is _ nice. Look, I think I know what your problem is, but until you can figure that out for yourself, then I guess we’re not going anywhere with this, are we?”

“So what do you want me to do, huh?” he asked.

Warren’s eyes softened and he let his hand brush against the trip of Nathan’s shirt before he sat up straight. He began buttoning it up again.

“Let Victoria work things out on her own. If she still wants to help Kate tomorrow, you can’t stop her. You know that. But, you can send her off and make sure that, if she doesn’t come back, the last thing you say to her isn’t something you’ll regret.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so late, there's no excuse other than I really didn't know how to effectively end this chapter. Here's to hoping the next one comes out sooner!


End file.
